When I started thinking about starting a business in Bali and trying to do research on the topic, I found there was so little information available anywhere. Since I started the Bali Expat website, how to go about starting a business in Bali is one of the most frequent questions I get asked.
In doing my research for the book, I heard of several people who lost their life savings from failed business investments in Bali. I thought that if I could write a guide to starting a business in Bali, it would at least serve as a starting point for people taking their first steps in starting their business.
It soon became clear to really make this guide both useful and interesting, I needed to get the experience of other expats who had already been down this road. Several people said to me "if only such a guide existed when I was starting out".
Interviews and case studies
I interviewed five long term, foreign business owners who shared their knowledge of starting and building businesses in Bali and Indonesia. Each of them have a unique experience and perspective on starting a business in Bali. Their advice and and insights are truly invaluable.
Who is the book for
The guide is for anyone contemplating moving to and starting a business in Bali, or even in another part of Indonesia.
What is included
The guide is split into 6 sections:
1. A guide to getting started, including some ideas for businesses in Bali, business plans and researching your target market in Bali.
A case study is included on how one person set up a business in a very saturated market in Bali, but was able to target a very specific niche and build a very successful business.
2. Section two covers issues specific to Indonesia and Bali, such as registering a business, business licences, franchises and tax.
3. Section three is devoted to marketing your business in Bali, including print media advertising and marketing your business on the internet. Don't just expect to 'build it and they will come'.
4. Section four is a set of five interviews I did with expat business owners, who have combined experience of 80 plus years of living in Bali and Indonesia.
5. Section five is a list of useful websites and clubs and societies you can join to network.
6. In section six I include a list of common abbreviations used in Indonesia that are mostly related to business, government and daily life.
The guide is just over 100 pages long and while it doesn't go into detailed laws of taxes and registering a business, it focuses on providing straight forward, practical advice.
Some of the other things you will learn in the book:
* The importance of niche markets
* The functions of a notary in Indonesia and when to use a notary or a lawyer
* How to find business partners
* How to structure your company
* How to find out what licenses you will need
As a bonus, I've included a case study of a guest house owner who was fully booked even before he opened for business, using only his blog for promotion. He shows that even someone with little technical knowledge can start a successful blog, which doesn't require too much work to run, but is an extremely effective way to market a business.
How to get the guide
The guide is priced at $25, which I think is a small investment for what you are likely to spend on starting your business. The advice in this guide could save you a huge amount of time and money.
Payment can be made securely with Paypal. The book is being sold on the e-junkie platform and you will be able to immediately download the book once payment has been made.
Here is some feedback I have received so far on the book:
"An easy informative read for anyone looking to set up a new business in Bali. I particularly liked the stories and credible advice from those with established businesses". Sue Toby
"FANTASTIC resource"
"Read your guide and found it very very interesting and very very helpful.There's more to opening a business than one realises. I'm not disappointed, I feel relieved that I know what I know now and that's because of your guide."
"I would say this is the de facto (if not the only!) guide to opening an expat business in Bali or other location in Indonesia. It's 100 pages of fact without any attempt to disguise the truth. It's not all doom and gloom, though, as Mike has augmented his own experience with in-depth interviews with several other successful Bali expat business owners, from different fields of enterprise; this gives added invaluable insight into the topic."
If you bought this guide and have your own website, you can earn money by joining my affiliate program. I pay 50 per cent of the sale, so you only have to sell two copies of the book to get your book for free!
Click here for more details